Tuesday, December 27, 2016

A final thought on undeserved mercy

St. John Paul The Great, in Veritas Splendor wrote:

It is possible that the evil done as the result of invincible ignorance or a non-culpable error of judgment may not be imputable to the agent; but even in this case it does not cease to be an evil, a disorder in relation to the truth about the good. Furthermore, a good act which is not recognized as such does not contribute to the moral growth of the person who performs it; it does not perfect him and it does not help to dispose him for the supreme good. Thus, before feeling easily justified in the name of our conscience, we should reflect on the words of the Psalm: “Who can discern his errors? Clear me from hidden faults” (Ps 19:12) (#63).

This to me is what is missing in the omission of repentance from Amoris Laetitia. It does not matter if there was less culpability. It does not matter if those divorced and remarried did not know that divorce and remarriage is always harmful. Even the Forgiveness of Christ, does not entirely heal the temporal effects of sin. We cannot use the internal forum to call divorce good and euthanasia mercy. These misinterpretations of Chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia must end. Mercy, to be mercy, needs to be based in Truth, not in the easy lies of those who avoid the dubia.

Truth and Repentance are necessary parts of Mercy. Without them, Mercy becomes merely pardon, and forgiveness will only affect the life of the person doing the forgiving. So says the Pope's own Ambassador of Mercy, and so I'm right in my interpretation of Amoris Laetitia.